Review: Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White
No need to consult with the mirror, Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White is definitely one of the fairest of them all. The meal is truly a work of art from start to finish, and with Snow and friends making their way through the wood, dinner is an entire experience you won’t forget!
This reservation was a particularly exciting get as I had been checking almost daily to see if a reservation had opened in advance of our trip. Not finding one, I had let go of being able to enjoy this dinner-only experience on this trip. However, on our flight to Orlando, Allison just happened to check and there was a reservation available THAT NIGHT! Did we have to take an Uber instead of Disney’s Magical Express so we could make it on time? Yes. Worth it? Yes.
As you leave the Wilderness Lodge Resort lobby and enter Artist Point, it’s clear that art is the focus with paintings of famous Disney scenes along the wall. The restaurant itself transforms to a magical forest, with lights twinkling through the trees throughout your meal.
It’s explained that Dopey, Grumpy and Snow have been making their way through the forest, and that once invited, we could visit with the Queen herself! Our server walked us through our menu – appetizers and desserts are a shared course, and each guest can choose an entree. The staff was easily able to accommodate my gluten sensitivity. I would get my own apps and desserts, closely inspired by the standard options. Since to eat, eat, eat, eat, eat, eat, eat is what we really like to do, let’s start with the food:
Drinks: Allison opted for the Alchemy, a blend of St. Germain, gin, watermelon and elderflower liqueur, and I ordered the Through the Forest mocktail: lime, mint and wildberry finished with sparkling water.
Appetizers: The standard offering includes a mushroom bisque, a “wicked” shrimp cocktail and Hunter’s Terrine. The GF option substituted an Impossible Burger and sauce for the terrine. We both supported that substitution as the terrine was our least favorite of the three appetizers, and the mushroom bisque was our favorite. You can never go wrong with a shrimp cocktail in our book, though we both wished there were more shrampies offered.
Main Course: We decided to go splitsies for this one, and we ordered a gluten free version of A Stroll through Nature, traditionally made with gnocchi but in this case made with GF pasta, and the Brother’s Grimm Roasted Chicken. Given that the appetizer course is small, we wanted something hearty for dinner, and these dishes delivered! The chicken is served skin-on with a variety of squash and potatoes, and we got the pasta with a healthy serving of parmesan on top for good measure. Both dishes were tasty and in moderate portions. We definitely weren’t starving afterward, but we also definitely cleared both plates.
Dessert: The dessert trio includes Gooseberry Pie, the Miner’s Treasure, a layered dessert with sponge cake, chocolate gems and berry panna cotta and a ‘Poison’ Apple (not actually poison – don’t fret.) Gluten free options include a chia pudding, a version of the Gooseberry Pie and a chocolate version of the apple. We both liked the Gooseberry Pie – also special because I always wanted to help my mom with the pies on Thanksgiving based on that scene in Snow White – and Allison particularly love the Miner’s Treasure. What we were both most excited about, though, was The Hunter’s Gift to the Queen, maple popcorn with a ganache heart. Presented with a bit of magic, it capped this fantastic dining experience.
As we worked our way through our meal, we got visits from Grumpy, Dopey and the real OP (Original Princess). The Queen summoned us to a meeting with her and threw all kinds of delightful shade during our photo opp. There is a Disney photographer available for your meeting with the queen, and like most character meals, you’ll snap your own pictures for the rest of the crew.
Overall, this meal was a fun and unique experience! We both commented on how elevated the food was, both in taste and presentation, and especially for a character meal. The portions are on the smaller side, but you’ll leave satiated instead of overstuffed, as we are sometimes prone to do at Disney meals. I hope you’ll get to experience Story Book Dining soon, and if at first you can’t get a reservation, just keep wishing into your well!
